Final answer:
The correct answer is option b. Mikhail Romanov.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the end of the Time of Troubles in 1613, Mikhail Romanov was elected as the Tsar of Russia. This marked the beginning of the Romanov dynasty, which lasted until the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 following the Bolshevik Revolution. Mikhail's election came after a period of political, social, and foreign invasion crises that left Russia in dire need of stable leadership. It was hoped that Mikhail Romanov, coming from a boyar family related to the previous Rurik dynasty, would restore order and stability to Russia.
The last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, ruled in a way that was in line with his predecessors, maintaining near-complete authority over the country and the Russian Orthodox Church despite the changing political landscape in Europe. However, his reign was marred by significant events such as Bloody Sunday in 1905, which saw the brutal response of the Imperial Guard to peaceful protesters outside the Winter Palace. The massacre severely undermined the perception of the tsar as the protector of the people.